The present invention relates to an image output processing apparatus which is equipped with storing means such as a hard disk device and is capable of temporarily storing image data supplied thereto in the storing means and reading out the same so as to output images.
Apparatuses that electronically read in images, apply predetermined processing to the electronic image data thus read in, and then carry out optical scanning recording at electrophotographic recording sections so that images are recorded/reproduced have been put on the market as digital copying machines, for example.
Recently also marketed are copying machines which store read-in data in semiconductor memories and improve values of products thereof by adding characteristics unique to digital processing to electronically read image data.
In the digital copying machine market, such copying machines have been proposed as systems capable of efficiently processing massive documents with increased capacity of semiconductor memories, or as complex digital machines in which functions of a facsimile, a printer, etc., are integrated.
To use such a digital copying machine to input massive document through a scanner section and process the same at once, or to receive and process massive document data produced by a personal computer or the like in a networked environment, the digital copying machine may be incapable of processing such input in some cases since the semiconductor memory installed therein has only a limited capacity of processing data at once.
To cope with this, recently has been devised installation of an external memory device with a large capacity, such as a hard disk device, so that the device works either by itself or along with a semiconductor memory to process image data of greater volume at once.
Volume of image data, however, varies depending on a type of vocation of the user, environment, etc., and particularly in there days, since the digital copying machine is inherently required to process image data of high resolution such as high-quality images or color images, a set of image data per se is enormous. Therefore, installation of a hard disk device does not always allow the digital copying machine to completely meet demands of all users.
On the other hand, the Japanese Publication of Laid-Open Patent Application No. 27881/1997 (Tokukaihei 9-27881, Date of Publication: Jan. 28, 1997) discloses a processing method including the following steps: when a hard disk device receives image data transferred from a personal computer to its full capacity, temporarily stopping data transfer from the personal computer and outputting images based on image data stored in the hard disk device; and after outputting all the image data stored in the hard disk device, resuming the transfer of image data from the personal computer and outputting the same in the same manner as above.
The digital complex image recording apparatus disclosed by the foregoing publication is arranged so as to, during the foregoing outputting operation, operate an offset tray in a discharge section at a stage where the image output based on the image data stored in the hard disk device is completed, in order that the foregoing output is clearly distinguished from output of image data to be subsequently stored in the hard disk device.
This ensures identification of a portion in the hard disk device where an error occurs due to over-capacity, and allows the user to easily check whether or not an image corresponding to the error portion is adequately outputted.
Although, however, the publication teaches that the digital complex image recording device taught therein outputs image data stored in the hard disk device when the hard disk device becomes full and thereafter resumes data transfer, only discharge of the copies with use of a sorter is described therein regarding cases where output of a plurality of copies is instructed. A sorter, though being a convenient device, is bulky and unavoidably causes a rise of costs of the entire apparatus.
Furthermore, since use of a sorter makes an editing operation unnecessary even if image data are divided into a plurality of blocks and outputted, the publication teaches nothing about how to obtain a plurality of copies of a document without use of a sorter, from image data divided into blocks.
Further, in the case where image data are divided into blocks according to the capacity of storing means, sometimes occurs an inconvenience such that one side of a sheet of paper corresponding to a border between blocks becomes blank depending on output conditions of a duplex recording mode, but the foregoing publication only teaches that image data are divided into blocks according to the capacity of storing means, proposing no means to avoid such an inconvenience.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an image output processing apparatus which is capable of easily providing a plurality of copies of an original document without a sorter function in the case where due to over-capacity of a hard disk device image data are divided into a plurality of blocks thereby causing images to be outputted in blocks.
To achieve the foregoing object, an image output processing apparatus of the present invention, which temporarily stores inputted image data and thereafter reads out the same so as to output images on sheets of paper, includes (a) storing means for storing image data, and (b) image output controlling means, which (i) divides inputted image data into a plurality of blocks under predetermined conditions in an order in which the image data are inputted so that one block has an amount of image data not exceeding a capacity of the storing means, (ii) when the storing of image data of one block in the storing means is finished, reads out the temporarily stored image data from the storing means, outputs the image data of the block so that a set number of copies of the images are obtained, and makes the storing means free, and (iii) thereafter stores image data of a next block into the storing means and applies to the image data the same processing operation as that described above.
According to the foregoing arrangement, in the case where massive image data are transferred from a networked personal computer or the like or in the case where a massive document is set in an automatic document reading device (image input device), image data can be divided into blocks under predetermined conditions in an order in which the image data are inputted, and image data of each block are outputted so that a desired number of copies of the document are obtained.
The foregoing arrangement wherein inputted data are divided into blocks according to a capacity of storing means enables output of image data for required plural copies even when an amount of inputted image data exceeds the capacity of the storing means, and required plural copies of the document can be surely obtained with a subsequent editing operation, without a sorting function.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an image output processing apparatus which ensures a simpler editing operation applied to output of the apparatus in the form of a plurality of sheets of paper, thereby to further reduces burden on a user.
To achieve the foregoing object, the aforementioned image output processing apparatus further includes editing information outputting means for outputting editing information used for finishing discharged sheets of paper divided in groups into complete copies are outputted.
With the foregoing arrangement, when images are outputted by dividing image data into blocks, the editing information outputting means outputs editing information for finishing the discharged sheets of paper divided in groups into complete copies, and the user only has to rearrange the groups of discharged sheets of paper in accordance with the outputted editing information. By so doing, the user can easily and speedily finish the editing work.
The foregoing editing information outputting means is preferably arranged so as to provide editing information in a manner instructed by the user.
With this arrangement, the user is allowed to instruct the manner of providing the editing information, and the editing information outputting means provides the editing information in the manner thus instructed. Therefore, in the case where the user works on editing at a distance from the image outputting processing apparatus, the user may instruct the editing information provision by printing out. On the other hand, in the case where the user can quickly carry out the editing beside the image output processing apparatus, the editing information may be displayed on the display section of the image output processing apparatus, so that paper and toner are not wasted.
The foregoing editing information outputting means preferably has editing information at various levels, and provides editing information at a level instructed by the user.
With the foregoing arrangement, the user is allowed to instruct the level of editing information to be provided, and the editing information output means provides editing information at the instructed level. Therefore, it is possible to provide editing information suitable to the level of the user""s skill of editing work, for example, detailed editing information for a user not accustomed to an editing work, while simplified editing information for a user accustomed to an editing work.
The foregoing editing information outputting means preferably suspends output of editing information in response to an instruction by the user for non-necessity of output of editing information.
With the foregoing arrangement, the user is allowed to instruct necessity/non-necessity of output of editing information. Therefore, the user well versed in the editing work may instruct non-necessity of output of editing information, so as to avoid such bother as display of editing information every time or request to the user for instruction of the displaying manner.
The foregoing editing information outputting means preferably outputs editing information on a sheet of distinction paper at a position such that an image of the editing information is not hidden under sheets of paper subsequently piled on the sheet of distinction paper.
Since the foregoing arrangement ensures that the image of the editing information is outputted at a position such that it is not hidden under sheets of paper subsequently piled on the sheet of distinction paper, it is possible to check the editing information before starting to edit the sets of sheets, allowing a user unaccustomed to such editing works to work at ease.
Furthermore, the foregoing editing information outputting means is preferably arranged so that, in the case where the sheets of paper are discharged in a face-down state in which the sheets of paper are piled with image-recorded surfaces of the sheets of paper facing downward, the editing information outputting means outputs editing information on both surfaces of the sheet of distinction paper so that the surfaces have respective editing information suited with respective states of the sheets of paper during an editing operation.
The sheets of paper discharged in the face-down state are, since blank surfaces thereof face upward, sometimes turned over so that image-recorded surfaces face upward. Therefore, by causing the image output processing apparatus to output editing information on both surfaces of the sheet of distinction paper so that the surfaces have respective editing information suited with respective states of the sheets of paper during an editing operation, the person engaged in the editing work can carry out the editing work without difficulty, if the pile of sheets of paper is turned over.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an image output processing apparatus which in an innovative manner provides borders between blocks of image data so as to output in accord with instructed output conditions of outputted images such as a duplex recording mode, even in the case where image data are divided into blocks.
To achieve the foregoing object, in the case where output conditions for output images are instructed, the foregoing image output controlling means divides the image data into blocks in accordance with the conditions.
With the foregoing arrangement wherein, in division of inputted image data into blocks, borders between blocks are determined not only according to the capacity of the storing means but also according to the conditions for output of images, copies of a document in accord with the output conditions can be obtained as a result of the editing work.
In the case where a duplex recording mode is instructed as output conditions, in the foregoing arrangement, the image data are preferably divided into blocks so that image data to be recorded on a front surface and a back surface of a same sheet of paper are not separately allocated to different blocks.
With the foregoing arrangement wherein, in the case of the duplex recording mode, the image data to be recorded on a front surface and a back surface of the same sheet of paper are not separately allocated to different blocks, hardly occurs such a defect that one surface of a sheet of paper on a border between blocks becomes blank. Accordingly, copies of a document can be obtained in the double-sided form without problems from image data divided into a plurality of blocks.
Furthermore, in the foregoing arrangement, in the case where, in the duplex recording mode, sheets of paper having images recorded on first surfaces thereof are temporarily held in an intermediate tray, the image data are preferably divided into blocks so that one block contains image data equivalent to twice a maximum number of sheets of paper loaded on the intermediate tray.
With the foregoing arrangement wherein the image data are divided into blocks so that one block contains image data equivalent to twice a maximum number of sheets of paper loaded on the intermediate tray, copies of a document can be obtained in the double-sided form without problems from image data divided into a plurality of blocks, in the duplex recording operation with use of the duplex unit of the intermediate tray type.
Furthermore, in the foregoing arrangement, in the case where, in the duplex recording mode, to form images on second surfaces of the sheets of paper which have images on first surfaces thereof, the sheets of paper are not piled but are recirculated with a predetermined number of sheets of paper being treated as one transport unit, the image data are preferably divided into blocks so that one block contains image data equivalent to twice the transport unit, the predetermined number depending on a length of a transport path and a size of the paper.
With the foregoing arrangement wherein the image data are divided into blocks so that one block contains image data equivalent to twice the transport unit, copies of a document can be obtained in the double-sided form without problems from image data divided into a plurality of blocks, in the duplex recording operation with use of the duplex unit of a recirculation type which does not use the intermediate tray.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.